Page 182 of Out of Bounds

Ryan didn’t say anything. The huge quarterback just nestled closer to me, out like a light again.

“Um…” I cleared my throat, trying to fight thefeelings. All of them, combined, hurling at me. The weird, overwhelming infatuation that I had for the football player and howgoodit felt to give him this…comfort. Quickly, I brushed away at my eyes. He wasn’t evenawakewhen he said it. How could he just do that? It shocked me every time.

“You could’ve gotten a blowjob,” I tried to say, my voice thick.

I can’t even tell a joke about it.

Fuck.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him tight. I shook my head. “Goddamn you, Ryan. You’re making it so hard for me to be cool about this.”

Still, he said nothing. He just sighed, completely asleep.

72

Ryan

Total Girlfriend Material

Our practices weren’t as private anymore. There’d always been a few people milling around the outside but now we had more open recruiters in the training center. It was what I’d been preparing for my entire college career, making the time to speak to them, be cordial, and knowing that everything else was placed in an entirely different level of importance.

I guess I just didn’t think Kassie was one of those things.

I breathed out a sigh of relief when I saw her, hurrying down the hallway to me. I picked up the pace, beating her to the door to open it.

"Thankyou.” Kassie scrunched up her nose at me. Adorable. “The guys and I got cupcakes after my shift." She held open the pink box. Only the remains of smeared frosting and halfa cupcake remained. "I gave all of them out to the design department—theywilllike me—”

“Of course, they’ll like you.”

“You can’t resist these, Ryan. Look inside, want to split the last half?"

"Can’t eat cupcakes," I answered automatically, placing a hand on her back. There was no reason that I needed to do it. We were already inside the meeting room, lined with new cords and recording equipment for the interview, but I hadn’t touched her all day. It’d been a busy day.

"You don’t want to lick the frosting?"

"I do.” I nodded, pulling out her chair. “But the training center’s full of people right now. Seems like pretty inconvenient timing.”

She gave me a confused look for a moment until a flush crept up her neck. “Behave.”

"Or what?"

"Or—shut up." She took her seat, ducking her head to hide the smile but I saw it anyway. "I’m trying out my experiment tonight, we’re two for two."

I rolled my eyes. I didn’t know how Kassie did it but somehow she figured out a way for me to move in my sleep and—supposedly—if she left for something, I came lumbering out of bed to grab her. Either way, sometimes I’d wake up with my face on her tits.

"Subconsciously, it’s how youwantto sleep.” She smirked.

“I don’t know how you’re rolling me over—”

“Oh,please. I couldn’t move your toned, clenched ass if I tried.” Kassie burst into laughter. “Youlikebeing cuddled like that. You’re just too much of a hardass when you’re awake to admit it.”

The door pushed open and we glanced up at it. A woman walked through with a professional earpiece and a pair ofheadphones around her neck, the podcast host. She beamed. "Oh my god, it issogreat to meet you. I’m Noemí."

I stood up to shake her hand and shook her cohost’s hand too when he walked in, grinning from ear to ear. The only time I was able to see Kassie so far today was one of the relationship interviews.

Beginning of the semester, I would’ve rolled my eyes at this, but if it was the only way I saw her before dinner time, I’d take it.

"Nice to meet you, I’m Brad," Brad introduced himself.

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